Soaring Flight
by StagnantLaziness
Summary: My life wasn't really that great. It's a boring one. Even my death was a typical one. After being hit by a car, I thought that was the end of my life. Imagine my surprise when I woke up as a newborn baby girl with an uncanny resemblance to a certain copy ninja. Man, trouble was practically fated to find me. Self-Insert, OC-centric.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Prologue**

Hi. My name's Alina Yuan. I'm an average 16 years old teenage girl with a penchant for reading. My favorite reads are usually manga and novels. At school, I'm not exactly a popular girl, but people knew me. I have two wacky best friends. One's Dinah, a lively and sometimes bipolar girl, and the other's Fest, a great, adventurous, and a definitely not sane guy who likes horror games. I love them to bits. I have a 4 year old baby brother, a great mom, and a caring father. Overall, I had a normal, peaceful life.

That was before I got hit by a car and died.

Sigh. Pity, really. It started as a nice day too.

Flashback

Last Saturday, I, Dinah, and Vio hung out together. Vio, a friend of ours, suggested us to meet together for lunch that day. We met, ate lunch, and went shopping together until late afternoon. It was a great day.

That is, until shit hits the fan.

As we waved goodbye to each other and went our separate ways, things started to go wrong. A car zoomed towards me, the driver frantically trying to stop his car, shouting at me to move away. I didn't react fast enough.

The car hit.

I didn't scream, I was too surprised to do so.

The sheer force of the impact sent me crashing through a nearby store window. As I flew, it seemed as if time itself slowed down and I became aware of everything happening around me with startling clarity.

The floating window shards, the shouting people, droplets of my own blood, Dinah and Vio screaming my name in horror, and most noticeably, the gigantic glass shards digging into my back.

Ouch.

Then my head hit the ground with a sickening crack and I knew no more.

Flashback End

So, here I am now, floating in this expanse of darkness, doing absolutely nothing.

_Wasn't dying supposed to send you to heaven or hell or something? C'mon, do something!_

As I finished my thoughts, the whole place rumbled.

_Damn, I shouldn't have said anything_, I thought_, now I've jinxed myself_.

The darkness seemed to shift and twist and it felt like I was being squeezed out like leftover toothpaste. The next thing I knew, I was being lifted up by a huge black haired blob. Wait, my eyesight suddenly focused... I thought newborn babies were supposed to have bad eyesight?

Oh, it's a woman. She looks Japanese. She's really pretty. The woman smiled beatifically at me and said,"_Omedeto, Minami-neesan. Sore wa kenko tekina onna no akachan desu."_

Wait, what? _Akachan_? Doesn't that mean baby girl in Japanese? The feeling of contentedness earlier was quickly squashed down by panic.

_Oh God, please let this be a joke._

I stared down in horror and burst into panicked tears. I wailed like a newborn baby I am.

_I'm a freaking baby!_

* * *

As soon as I calmed down from my panic attack, I started surveying my surroundings. It seems like we're inside a small house. As soon as I started crying, the black-haired lady gave me to a brunette who I presume was my mother. I stared at my new mother. Now that I think about it, she looks very young. Like, my (previous?) age young. And she's wearing a… headband?

At closer look, it's not an ordinary headband. It's a _hitae-ate_. An honest to god ninja hitae-ate like the ones from Naruto.

_Oh, come on!_

Seriously, this can't be happening. I'm reborn with the memories from my previous life intact and I'm reborn in the Naruto universe?! This sounds like one of those self-inserts in Fanfiction!

Sigh. Seems like I just have to suck it up and roll with it, eh? Well, at least my life won't be boring anymore.

Wait. A newborn baby. Can't consume anything other than milk from their own mother's breasts for a few months.

…Wonderful. Just wonderful.

* * *

**So, uhm, hello to anyone reading this. I'm a newbie author and this is my first fanfiction. Because of all the Naruto OC-insert fanfictions I read, I decided to make one. I hope it's good enough. **

**Forgive me if there are any errors I missed, since English isn't my first language. Constructive criticisms are very welcome. ^^**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi guys! I'm back! Sorry for the wait. Here's chapter 2 for ya awesome people! :D**

**And here's my review replies:**

**ILOVEANIMES54: Thanks! My wrist is getting better. Hopefully it'll fully heal in another two weeks.**

**Kurotiger: Thanks, Kurotiger. :D**

**Fallerullandeig: Thanks!**

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Early Days**

Timeskip: 6 months old

I've understood the language a lot better now. And I can speak, even though it's not so fluent. Aunt Yuka, the pretty black-haired woman, was both jumping in joy and perplexed at the same time when the first word I uttered was _saisei_ (rebirth). I was about to say reborn, but my speaking ability wasn't that good yet. Eh, she wouldn't understand anyway.

I found out my name. It's Yukie Kazehana. Haha, kidding. I'm no princess.

It's Hiko Amemiyu. Apparently, Aunt Yuka was the one who named me. Hiko means flight.

I also found out that my mother's name was Minami. She's a ninja from Kisaragi no Sato, a village south from Konoha. She's young. Evidently, she's still 18 when she gave birth to me. She has long, brunette locks and soft green eyes. She's still in active ninja duty. It looks like this village doesn't have enough shinobi, so they immediately sent her back to work once she recovered. Last week, she went on another mission. She hasn't come back yet. Aunt Yuka is getting worried.

I rarely see her. Even though she was my mother, she grew more and more distant towards me. It started getting worse when my hair grew. Minami looked like she had a heart attack when she saw me after coming back from a month-long mission. Her eyes grew anguished and she murmured something that sounded like a comment about how similar I am to my father. Aunt Yuka looked pained when that happened. So, she takes care of me.

It made me think, though. Where's my father? Who is my father? Did she have a fling with him and accidentally had me?

_What happened?_

I don't know. But based from my mother's behavior, it's likely the truth.

* * *

Timeskip: 2 years old

Mother—Minami—never came back alive. She came back in a coffin a month later, charred beyond recognition. Aunt Yuka cried hysterically once she saw her dead body. Me? I didn't cry. I just stood beside Aunt Yuka trying to comfort her. You get used to sights like that when you hang out with Fest.

_Fest…_

I felt a pang in my heart. I shook my head. There isn't time for that.

Now that I'm two, I finally noticed my hair. It wasn't like Aunt Yuka's or mother's. No, it was fucking _silver_.

_Shit._

Silver-haired ninjas weren't exactly common. The only ones I know with the same shade of hair like mine who lives nearby were Kabuto Yakushi, Kakashi Hatake, and that Mizuki guy. Kabuto is probably still about 8 years old since it's only about four years after the Third Shinobi War… And Hidan.

So, the only plausible choice is Kakashi or Mizuki. Because I doubt that Hidan actually had sex with someone without sacrificing them to Jashin or something.

Sigh.

Seeing my luck, it's probably gonna be Kakashi.

And I'm assuming that my own father doesn't know that I actually existed.

Sigh.

* * *

Timeskip: 4 years old

As a four year old, I was known as a prodigy by the villagers of Kisaragi no Sato and most of my peers were practically a fan club of my own. I'm already fluent in both reading and writing, and I'm now working on my chakra control and taijutsu. I've read some of my mother's books with Aunt Yuka helping me on the way. Aunt Yuka might not be a great fighter, but she's a pretty good medic-nin.

I'm planning on asking her to teach me. It's the Naruto universe, after all. And from all those self-insert fanfictions I've read, no matter how much you try to not muck up the original storyline, things like that are bound to happen. Might as well train and prepare myself before shit hits the fan.

Sure, I've tried training by myself; I've read the books and everything. But I can't even activate my chakra.

Yeah, I suck.

But hey, gimme a break, I'm still four! Just because I'm a prodigy doesn't mean that I'm a miracle-worker!

As I walked towards our house, I glanced at my reflection on a puddle beside me. No wonder people thought that I wasn't related to my mother. I have long, messy, silver-grayish hair that jutted everywhere and dark gray eyes. The only traits I have from my mother are her fair skin and her heart-shaped face.

_Most are my father's traits, huh? I guess my mother's little breakdown was justified._

I mean, seriously, silver hair and dark gray eyes? That just screams Kakashi Hatake. I wonder why people didn't notice this. Maybe that's because most of the village populations are civilians?

Before long, I arrived at the front of our house. Our house is a small one, made up of three bedrooms, two bathrooms (thank God that water closet has been invented in this world!), and a small yard for hanging the clothes.

I didn't see Aunt Yuka anywhere in the house, so she must be hanging the laundry at the back.

I ran to the backyard and shouted, "Aunt Yuka, I'm home!"

"Hiko, what did I tell you about running?" Aunt Yuka scolded. As I thought, she is hanging the laundry.

"To not to," I answered cheekily. I just love annoying people. Heh, I guess that particular habit never changed.

Aunt Yuka sighed, smiling fondly while hanging the last of the laundry, "Hiko," she spoke, kneeling in front of me. "I know that you don't usually bother me for something unimportant, so what is it dear?"

Darn. She got me.

"Well," I started, shifting nervously, "I was wondering if you could teach me how to use chakra and control it." I stared at her face with the most powerful puppy-dog-eyes I had in my arsenal. "Please?"

_Hold it… hold it…._

Aunt Yuka sighed, staring at me seriously. "Are you sure about this?"

"Un." I nodded vigorously while still keeping eye contact. Hey, that took skills you know.

She sighed again, this time as a sign of resignation. "Alright, then. I'll teach you."

_Hook, line, and sinker._

"Yay!" I exclaimed excitedly, looking like a hyperactive toddler I should be. "When do we start?"

She smiled. "Right now."

* * *

Aunt Yuka brought me to a small clearing on the edge of a village, near the forest. It seemed like people don't come here often. It has a few targets for weapon throwing practice and a few logs for taijutsu punching bags. They didn't look worn enough to be used regularly, so I assume that the shinobi in this village don't usually practice here.

As I finished looking at the surroundings, Aunt Yuka then said, "This is where we'll be training. First, we'll try on generating or flaring your chakra around your body. Here, let me show you."

I paid rapt attention towards her. This is important after all.

She made a hand seal and concentrated. After a few seconds, the air around her shifted, and a blue sheen of chakra enveloped her body. She stood there for a few seconds before stopping.

Aunt Yuka gestured at me with her hand. "Now," she said, "you try."

I took a deep breath before mimicking her, doing the hand seal and concentrating on my chakra.

As soon as I felt the flow of the chakra in my body, I pushed it out with everything I've got.

The moment I did that, I heard a startled gasp.

I opened my eyes and immediately zoned in on my chakra. No wonder Aunt Yuka was surprised.

_It's white,_ I thought faintly.

That did it.

There's no doubt about it now.

I'm definitely a Hatake.

* * *

After training, Aunt Yuka excused herself to make dinner for the both of us. I knew that she knew that the both of them knew about my father and that my chakra was special.

Wow, that's kinda confusing.

Anyways, back to the current problem. She is a ninja, after all. There's no shinobi, especially the older ones, that doesn't have a bingo book.

She hid her surprise well afterwards, but I could see her façade slipping sometimes when she thought I wasn't looking. She had that look, you know, the guilty and conflicted one. She simply said those multicolored chakras are normal and that I shouldn't dwell on it.

Utter. Piece. Of. Bullshit.

Sorry about that, but I feel so betrayed. She's the closest thing I have as a mother figure, and she hid this from me too. Sigh, I guess I can't blame her for taking this decision, but it still hurts. I'm just a kid—albeit a very smart one—to her.

I was right.

_She wouldn't understand._

* * *

**Oh yeah, sorry 'bout this, but updates are probably gonna be a bit wacky, since my final exams are coming. I'll try to update once in a week or two at most. Thank you.**

**Again, constructive criticisms are welcome! Oh, and reviews too. :)  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Haha! Guess what? It's an early update, and a longer one too! Things will go downhill from here, and our little Hiko will realize that even in the Naruto world, things aren't always sunshine and rainbows. Enjoy!**

**Oh! I just remembered:**

**Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Not mine.**

* * *

**Chapter 3: The Harsh Reality of Life**

Timeskip: 8 years old, (6 months after graduation)

It's been four years since I first trained with Aunt Yuka. I've recovered about her choice of not telling me about my heritage after a few days, so it's cool.

I've aced the Academy in this village. It was surprisingly easy, especially with my superior mind, tips from Aunt Yuka, and my awesome skills.

Oh hush. Let me gloat, dammit.

I started the Academy at the age of six, since I don't think the village accepts early recruits. The word of the Uchiha Massacre that happened four years ago had spread towards every nook and cranny of the Elemental Countries, effectively banning all early enrolment in the Land of Fire. I guess they didn't want to take the chance of something like that happening again.

I didn't really have any friends, cuz I'm actually kind of antisocial. Aunt Yuka wasn't happy about that behavior. It's just not that I don't want to make friends; I just don't blend in with those kids. Except for Miyu, I think. She's more like a shy little sister. She's like a version of an auburn-haired Hinata and she's so cute! Squeee!

I made friends with her when I defended her from the bullies who like to mock her red hair. She's a really sweet girl. Her situation kinda reminds me of Kushina's. Although, Kushina would probably skin those boys alive if they dare make a single comment about her hair. Hmm… there's a slight possibility that she might be an Uzumaki, with that hair.

I rarely seen Miyu lately. After jumping off to the higher level classes, I didn't really see her to a daily basis anymore. And now that I'm officially a genin, I don't really have time to see her.

Speaking of genin, my team wasn't exactly a batch of fresh graduates. The number of the graduates this year weren't even and I was left out. Good thing that Kouga-sensei—my new jounin sensei—picked me to replace Toru, one of his ex-team members. Toru had an unfortunate injury in his last mission with them. He got thrown off a cliff by an explosion and broke his spine. He's recuperating, but he wouldn't be able to become a shinobi anymore. In a way, this is a blessing in disguise. I still felt sorry for him though. He's quite nice.

The rest of my teammates are Ayumi, a weapon specialist who has quite a talent for genjutsu and Hisoka, an energetic boy whose dream was to become a medic-nin. It's like a role reversal, you know. Usually the girls are the ones who wanted to become a medic-nin.

Ugh. That last comment sounded sexist.

They are really nice, Ayumi, Hisoka, and Kouga-sensei. Ayumi taught me a lot of things about weapons and a bit of genjutsu. As for Hisoka, well, we usually trade knowledge about medical herbs and techniques.

What? When you're living with a medic-nin, it's just stupid to not pick up some things from her.

Where was I? Oh, right. And last, Kouga-sensei. He's a nice teacher. He's really playful and easygoing, although he has a bit of an ego. He's quite known as a ladies' man by everyone in the village. He has a great love for literatures. He likes to spoil us, you know. Especially me, since I'm the youngest. He already taught me the elemental affinities three months ago, just because I asked him to!

Eh. I'm not complaining.

Oh, by the way, my main elemental affinity is lightning.

Figures.

Oh, and I finally managed to generate the original, blue chakra instead of the Hatake one. Kouga-sensei looked at me suspiciously when I showed him my white chakra, but didn't comment on it and taught me to separate my chakras. I found out that using the white chakra tires me out easily, since it was more condensed than the usual one. So that's why Sakumo enveloped his blade with white chakra; to make it sharper!

Kouga-sensei's like an uncle to me. You know, the type who spoils you all the time every time he visits. He reminds me a bit of Genesis Rhapsodos from Final Fantasy VII. Well, before he sprouted wings and went insane, anyway.

Uh... that didn't end up sounding the way I intended it to.

Well, currently, we're on the way back to the village from an escort mission. It's gonna be a while before we arrive.

I was already so used to the calm and peace around me and thus, I completely forgot the storm looming right ahead.

I-I never thought this would happen. Not to Aunt Yuka.

* * *

As soon as we arrived at the village, Old Man Kizuro—one of my neighbors—rushed to me, looking very worried. He exclaimed," Miss Hiko! Hurry, come quick! Your aunt is in critical condition!"

"What?!" I snapped my head towards him, aghast. Did he just say what I think he did?

Kouga-sensei, Ayumi, and Hisoka stared.

I spazzed, shock overcoming me. There is no way Aunt Yuka is dying, right? Right? She was still healthy the last time I saw her.

_That was last week. You rarely stay nowadays, too busy on your missions._

I ignored the accusing voice inside my head. There's no way that Aunt Yuka will die. I don't believe it. She's strong an—

"Hiko! Hiko! Snap out of it!" Kouga-sensei shouted, breaking me out of my stupor. I turned towards him, face blank.

_Huh. It seems that I'm still in shock._ I thought distractedly.

"Hurry and go to your Aunt. She might not have much time left." He intoned softly, placing his hand on my shoulder in a gesture of comfort. "Go. We'll report our mission."

"Thanks," I smiled at my team. I'm glad I could always count on them. Growing serious, I rushed to my home as fast as I can.

_Hold on, Aunt Yuka._ I thought fiercely, jumping across one rooftop to another. Without realizing it, tears sprang into my eyes, clouding my vision, but my eyes never strayed away from our home.

_Please don't leave me. Not now._

* * *

At first glance, Hiiragi Rojikurou knew that the woman lying in front of her doesn't have much time left.

Her face had lost its rosy color, turning into an unhealthy pallor with lips so pale, and if not for the faint rise and fall of her chest, she would've thought that the woman before her has been claimed by Death itself.

Her long, thick, glossy black locks has now gone limp, losing the luster it once held, little by little falling away, leaving her head almost bare.

Her vibrant green eyes, once so full of life, are now glassy and filled with pain, even though there's still stubbornness shining in it.

And that sheer stubbornness is the only thing keeping her alive.

Hiiragi shook her head in bitter astonishment. _Unbelievable_, she thought as she stared at the figure of a dying Yuka Amemiyu, _just in the span of a week, this lively ex-student of mine has been reduced to this._

The elder woman remembered when her husband, Kizuro, ran into their house a week ago, shouting like a man possessed while carrying the limp body of her ex-student. She immediately placed Yuka back in her house, trying to diagnose the problem while her husband went out to notice Hiko. Unfortunately, Hiko is on a C-ranked mission, and the only two shinobi who owns a summon contract are out on a mission too.

She found the problem, but there's nothing she could do to help. There's a growing lump of flesh inside her left lung, located near her bronchiole, sometimes cutting off her ability to breathe. However, after being there unnoticed for two years while Yuka herself seemed to have waved it off as her asthma, it evolved and had decayed almost half of her left lung.

By then, it's too risky to remove it without the help of professionals, and healing chakra only helped the flesh grow.

Now, only Tsunade of the Sannin could have a chance on saving her.

Hiiragi was snapped out of her musings by a low moan from Yuka, making her grip her ex-student's cold hand tighter, brows furrying in worry.

She could only hope that her ex-student's stubborn will would last until her niece arrives.

* * *

As soon as I arrived, I rushed through the front door, almost ripping the wooden sliding door off its hinges. I ran, making a beeline straight towards Aunt Yuka's bedroom.

Hell, I didn't even take my time to open my shoes. I kicked them off my feet somewhere on the front yard.

All I could think of was Aunt Yuka, dying.

I frantically ripped open the door to Aunt Yuka's room and shouted, "Aunt Yuka!"

I froze in my steps as I took in her frail figure.

Aunt Yuka lied on her futon, what was left of her once beautiful hair splayed around her, her face twisted in pained acceptance.

At one glance, I knew what was happening to her.

_Cancer._

_Oh Kami, no…_

She was so, so _pale_. I actually thought she was already…

"H-hiko…" she whispered feebly, breath ragged, her hand searching blindly for mine to hold. My eyes glistened, and I immediately dropped down to my knees and held her hand tightly. It was so cold and clammy, and my throat clogged up, a desire to scream and cry in denial wedging in my chest.

_Nononononono—_

I answered. "Y-yes?" I choked out, my voice cracking slightly at the beginning. She turned her face towards my voice, eyes slowly focusing. She smiled, just a weak lift of her lips, as if she doesn't have enough strength to do a full smile.

She squeezed my hand softly, "Hiko, please forgive this aunt of yours, for leaving earlier than I should." She gave out a few chuckles which quickly turned into coughs.

She continued, "I should've suspected that there was something wrong with me, ever since I coughed up that little speck of blood months ago," she gave herself a self-depreciating smile, "or perhaps I was just in denial."

My breath hitched. Months ago? How did I not see—? The anguish must have shown in my face, because Aunt Yuka's expression softened, and she raised a trembling hand to my face, wiping a tear on my cheek.

"It's not your fault," she murmured, "so don't you dare blame yourself for this, Hiko. You're only eight, and this disease is something even Hiiragi-sensei did not know." She glanced at Hiiragi-obaasan on the other side of the futon.

"B-but—"I started, protesting. _I'm not eight. I should've known. I should've realized_. Was what I wanted to say, and I knew I was too immersed in my missions that I barely paid attention to my only family. Too immersed with thoughts of a future that could be, instead of my own family I have with me right now.

And my mistake cost me a life.

Aunt Yuka shushed me, snapping me out of my depressive thinking, her face serious. "Hiko, listen to me, before my time runs out. Your father, his name is Hatake Kakashi, also known as the Copy-Nin Kakashi of Konohakagure. Find him, and seek shelter to him. Your white chakra is the key to the Hatake clan heritage. Sur—"she broke off into a harsh coughing fit. Hiiragi-baasan steadied her. "Su-survive, Hiko."

"I'm sorry," she murmured apologetically, "all I could give to you are your mother's and my belongings, along with what we have left. We don't have much, which is why I'm telling you to go to your father. He'll be able to support your living."

None of us mentioned the possibility that he would not take me in. I simply nodded, tears and snot running down my face— a perfect picture of a crying eight year old. Except I'm not one.

"I'm sorry," she repeated once more, clutching my hand tighter, tears gathering in her eyes, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" she kept repeating, pale face crumpled with guilt and regrets. And I understood.

_I'm sorry for not telling you this earlier. I'm sorry that I have to leave. I'm sorry that I could give you anything more. I'm sorry that I couldn't be much of a help._

And one more apology that I could see clearly in her eyes, the most prominent of all of them. One that I have seen the signs of, ever since mother died.

_I'm sorry for being selfish, to wish to be reunited with my sister once more, leaving you alone in the process._

And I understood, I really did, but it didn't hurt any less.

I gripped her hand tighter, and whispered," I know. And it's okay." Even though I myself wasn't sure with all the emotion brewing in my heart, and the tears still streaming down my face.

Slowly, her apologies dwindled to mere whispers, and when the hand I was holding went slack, I knew she was gone.

Hiiragi-baasan covered Aunt Yuka with a white cloth and offered me a tissue to clean my face. I did just that, then we prayed to Kami, and I retreated to the confines of my room.

That night, I cursed and cried myself to sleep.

* * *

**As usual, please review! And constructive criticisms are very welcome! :D**

**And thanks for all your follows and favs! You're all so kind! **

**Although I will be even happier if you review more too. Just a short praise will do. Even better when you criticize this. I still need to learn a lot of stuff. I kinda butchered the grammars... -.-"**

**I'll brush it up, though. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Yo, guys! Sorry if it's bit late, I was kinda busy this week, the time to type was few and far in between. From the title you could tell it's gonna get better for Hiko, with some cliches here and there.**

**Oh and:**

**Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own my OCs. And the fic plot.**

**Reviewer Replies:**

**Allo: Guest-san is right! Minami barely took care of Hiko while Yuka treated he with the utmost care, which made Hiko not really attached to Minami, or caring much about her for that matter.**

**Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Of Heavy Thoughts and Cheering Up**

Aunt Yuka's funeral was held the next morning.

You'd think that a funeral's atmosphere would look dreary and sad. But it wasn't. The sun was fucking shining, birds chirping beautifully, and all that shit. Overall, a perfect day for a damn picnic.

And I hated it. It felt like the world was disrespecting Aunt Yuka's death.

The only indicator of a funeral being held was all the people wearing black standing in the cemetery, their faces solemn, giving me words that mostly consisted of 'I'm sorry for your loss'. Most of them did it just for the sake of being appropriate, I knew. There were only a few of them that truly meant the words they said. But I couldn't even summon enough emotions to care, or even feel angry about it. I was just…numb, I guess.

It wasn't—it didn't feel like this when Minami died. I suppose it was because I was never too attached to her, and it's not that she seems to really care about me either. She rarely took care of me, and the most she did was just on my first six months, then she just upped and away on missions, leaving me in the care of Aunt Yuka.

Comparing my emotions towards my mother and to Aunt Yuka is like comparing a mere pebble to a shiny bowling ball.

By noon, I was the only one left sitting in front of her tombstone.

My team came earlier, Hisoka, Ayumi, and Kouga-sensei, giving their regards and well wishes, Ayumi actually sobbing while holding me in her arms. Kouga-sensei was looking at me worriedly with _that_ look—the one that seemed to say,

_What are you going to do now?_

And I just stared back steadily at him, because frankly, _I don't know_.

What the hell am I supposed to do now!? I just lost my aunt, and I'm not allowed to live alone until I'm chunin. I know Aunt Yuka told me to go to Kakashi, but I can't go now! There's a chance that Kakashi would reject me, and from what I gathered, Kakashi is borderline suicidal at this time. What do I do?

….

… I..really wasn't prepared for this. I never thought that Aunt Yuka would just..leave like that. I thought that we'd be happy, that we'd be together until she's all wrinkly and old; until I would introduce her to all those wonderful people I'd have a chance to meet one day.

_But it was not meant to be._ I thought bitterly, staring at her tombstone, a self-depreciating smile forming on my lips.

Deep in my thoughts, I didn't realize a small figure coming to a stop beside me. Her footsteps rustled the crisp, neatly shaven grass on the cemetery, stopping right beside me. Her long red hair—cluing me to who she was—waved in my peripheral vision. Without gazing up, I greeted her.

"Hi, Miyu."

"… Hi."

"What are you doing here at this hour?" I stood up, gazing at the girl with her glasses-framed forest green eyes staring at me in concern as I dusted my trousers. Heh. I seem to be getting those looks a lot, lately.

Miyu was holding a bouquet filled with white lilies, her usual attire of a beige-colored short dress discarded for a black dress and a pair of black leggings. Her long, red hair was untied, blown by the wind in their natural glory.

There is no doubt that Miyu would grow up to be an attractive young woman, if not a little timid. Hmm… I'd have to fend off a lot of suitors from her.

I cut off my train of thoughts, looking pointedly at my friend as she tried to say something. She was fidgeting, her face looking down in nervousness. "I.." she started, "I wanted to give this to you earlier, but there were s-so many people near you, so I waited until they all went home."Her face went a bit red.

"I-I'm sorry if it's a bit late!" She hurriedly bowed down, flustered, her long hair pooling in front of her head.

My lips twitched. Now this is the girl I missed. Sweet, sweet Miyu. And a bitter stray thought came into the forefront of my mind.

_When will she be taken away from me too?_

My lips fell right into a straight grim line. _No—_

And then, with the same speed she used to bow, she stood up, her long hair accidentally slapping me right on the face, literally snapping me out of my morose thoughts.

A loud smack echoed in the area.

_Ouch_. Kami, that long hair of hers _hurts_.

Miyu was wide eyed, her face slowly turning as red as her hair as she realized what had happened, flustered apologies slipping through her lips as she knelt down in front of me and examined the red mark her hair left on my face.

Of the sheer ludicrousness of the situation, I couldn't help but I began to laugh. Miyu followed with a series of giggles.

With that, my worries were forgotten for the day.

For now.

* * *

As I thought, my moment of peace did not last long.

As soon as I returned to my house, reality came crashing down on me. The house was empty and cold. No Aunt Yuka sweeping the porch. No Aunt Yuka doing the laundry. No Aunt Yuka cooking dinner and asking me about my day. No Aunt Yuka reprimanding me for doing silly things.

No more Aunt Yuka.

Tears prickled in the corner of my eyes, but none fell. I turned on all the lamps in the house, as it was nearing night, and managed to make myself a plate chicken-filled onigiri for dinner. I chewed on it thoughtfully as I glanced at the three empty seats on the dining table.

_I made too much onigiri_, I thought, somewhat bemused and slightly sad, _I guess I should get used on living alone_.

_Speaking of living alone…_

I continued the train of thoughts I had on the cemetery. What should I do? Genin weren't allowed to live alone, especially one as young as I was, prodigy or not. Finding Kakashi is out of question, even if Aunt Yuka told me to do so. She just didn't know how bad Kakashi was at the moment. ANBU, mourning all the time in front of the memorial stone, reading porn, failing _all_ of his genin team candidates before Team Seven… his mental state wouldn't be suitable to care for a child. Not to mention all the ninjas hounding after his head.

_But the Sandaime Hokage won't be as callous to throw an orphaned child, right? Especially one with a clan. The council would be ecstatic. _A voice in my head pointed out.

_Yeah, but the council are a bunch of manipulative old bastards, _I growled back, _they'd probably turn me into a breeding cattle since they couldn't do that to Kakashi. Besides, we don't know how the Sandaime is really like. That grandfatherly figure we saw in the series was only reserved for his precious people only. There's no way someone without a backbone would be known as the God of Shinobi and become the Sandaime Hokage even if Danzo thought otherwise._

The voice stayed silent.

I scoffed. If it was anything that I learned from my eight years of life in this world, is that nothing is as it seems. Like missions, for example. Even with its classifications, you need to get authorization from the highest ranked person in charge of the mission. Which is why a mission is chosen for each team every time. At least, that's how it is in my village, since we don't really have a Kage. Just a village head—like Tsukikage, although our village is smaller—and an envoy from the Fire Daimyo who does a check up every three months or so. Our current head is Asugai Kazeshima, successor to the third head who was his father, Sugire Kazeshima.

The majority of the profit the village made was from constructions, mining and farming. Some of them are from the shinobi, but not much was interested in being one. Too dangerous and risky, they had said. So, in conclusion, Kisaragi no Sato is a quaint, little village. Very normal and peaceful compared to the famous hidden villages, really.

With that, another conclusion was made. With the number of shinobi we have at the moment, and the ever growing pile of missions, we are short on ninjas. Fortunately, considering this circumstances, A-ranked and B-ranked missions are very, _very_ rare. Not to mention an S-rank.

Although, with _my_ current circumstances, I should find more C-ranked missions for a bigger payload. There was only so much of the money Aunt Yuka left me with. And let's not forget the matter of my guardianship.

I put my head on my hands, exhaling a long, stressful sigh. It seems that there is still much for me to think about…

Just then, there were three sharp knocks on the front door.

"Coming!" I shouted, making sure I was presentable. White children's shirt and green cotton shorts. Meh. Good enough.

I walked to the front door and fumbled to open it. Who was visiting me at… I took a glance to the clock on a nearby wall—seven at night? Weird.

Finally, I managed to unlock the door, and my eyes widened in surprise.

"Hi, Hiko." Kouga-sensei smiled, Hisoka and Ayumi waving behind him."I hope it's not too late for dinner?"

"We're gonna bunk in your house for the night, too!" Ayumi piped, waving her bag. I stood speechless in front of the door, still staring at them.

"Er.." Hisoka began hesistantly, seeing that I wasn't responding."I hope you don't mind, since we thought you'd be lonely, and our parents agreed to it. Sorry for not telling you earlier."

At last, I managed to find my voice. "No… I don't mind at all. You're very welcome to stay the night. I only have a plate of chicken onigiri for dinner though. I hope you don't mind." I said, letting them in.

"No, we don't mind at all! We could whip up something if we want to." Kouga-sensei cheerily said, walking in.

I hid a grateful smile as I closed the door behind them. Then my voice gained a teasing edge."So, Kouga-sensei, isn't it a bit suspicious for an adult to stay the night with three kids, alone?" I let my face turn into a wary expression. "You're not a pedophile, are you?"

As Kouga-sensei spluttered denials ("I'm not, I have a girlfriend! You're eight, where did you get things like that?!") and the rest of my teammates doubled over in laughter at his expense, I smiled contentedly.

Perhaps life wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

When he spotted the content smile on his youngest student's face, he knew his plan on cheering her up was a success. She's already cracking jokes at him already!

Kouga grinned as he watched the children talk, yammering on different topics in high speed. He leaned back on the kitchen chair as he helped himself to a portion of Hiko's onigiri. He chewed on it, savoring the flavor of the savory chicken inside.

Mm… not bad at all if he said so himself. He couldn't cook for his life even if he had to. Cup ramen and canned soup are the only things he could cook. Which was why he always gave the cooking duty to one of the kids.

His grin softened into a wistful smile as he watched Hiko from his spot on the chair.

That child, he vividly remembered the sheer terror and denial on her face when Kizuro-san told her of the news. And after her aunt had passed, the little spitfire became sullen and subdued. No jokes, no teasing, no nothing. Just a bitter, convoluted depression and guilt etched on her face. Normally, he'd give her a time alone to mourn, but seeing a somewhat self-depreciating smile on her face appearing a little too often than he'd like made him think that she had too much time on her hands to get depressed. So, he came up with a haphazard, shitty plan to cheer her up.

Well, he thought as the sound of childish laughter and teasing was heard from across the room, he was just glad that it worked.

The wistful smile on his lips turned into a happy one.

* * *

**As usual, reviews and constructive criticisms are welcome! And thanks for all the reviews, favs and follows! :)**


	5. Interlude 1

**Heya, guys! Just a short interlude about how Hiko came to be, eight years ago.** ***waggles eyebrows***

**Kidding, it's just to clear some things up.**

**No worries, nothing really explicit, which was why I rated the fic T, mostly for swearing and stuff.**

**This takes place eight years ago, just after Obito and Rin died around the third shinobi war. Minami's 17, Kakashi's 16, and is currently sent to Kisaragi for a mission.**

**And with posting this, I'm deleting the AN, so for those who hasn't read chapter 4, it's in the prev chappie. ^^**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Interlude 1: To Try to Forget**

It was his fault. All his fault.

Kakashi sighed as he put down his sake cup with a loud clink, tasting the cheap alcohol burning in his throat. He poured another portion of the sake, gulping down more of it down his throat in an effort to get himself inebriated enough to forget all his problems. As well as his failures.

_Obito. Rin._

He closed his eyes. Yes, his failures that costed him his teammates. Which explains the reason why he was trying to drink himself unconscious in a dinky bar in the borders of Konoha and Kisaragi, in the middle of a mission, in order to at least, _forget_.

Even for just a moment.

_There were rocks falling all around him as he tried to navigate himself with half his sight blinded and then there was a push and the next thing he knew that Obito was crushed underneath the boulders—half of his body practically unresponsive and dying. They couldn't move him out, and the dead last actually had the damned guts to give him his remaining eye as a congratulatory present._

_Obito smiled, and told him to protect Rin as his last wish._

_Rin screamed and cried, and he had to restrain her, he wanted to scream too—but he promised to Obito. He'd protect her, on all costs._

_In the end, they had to leave him behind._

Behind his closed eyelids, his Sharingan eye—_no, it was Obito's—_spun lazily, recounting another of his dreaded nightmares—_no, it was his wretched, wretched memories—_in perfect clarity.

_There was Rin, and there was the enemy ninja, Chidori crackling on his arm as he brought it down in a killing blow. Bones, sinews, and soft muscle tissues easily broke through his arm. _

_But it was all _wrong_. _

_It was no grown shinobi he struck. There were no hateful eyes staring back at him. There were only apologetic brown eyes staring at him in relief, slowly dimming as she whispered a soft thank you with her last breath. It was _Rin_ he struck, her blood dripping down his arm which was still lodged in her torso, the Chidori slowly dying down into nothingness._

_Kakashi trembled, and he screamed._

_He had failed._

He supposed what he was trying to do was useless, he thought, staring at the empty bottles of sake lined on his table, for no amount of sake would make him forget, no matter how drunk he was. Not with a Sharingan implanted in his left eye socket.

_(And maybe, just maybe, a part of him never wanted him to forget in the first place.)_

But he could always try.

So when a Kisaragi kunoichi he met on the battlefield started flirting with him—_what was her name again? Miyami? Misami?—_he let himself be led to an enclosed space, hands exploring, mouths devouring each other and the alcohol making his blood burn, he simply went with it.

Yes, he thought, as he placed open-mouthed kisses on her collarbone, he could always_ try_.

* * *

**As usual, read and review! :D**


End file.
